Similar Drugs

Nicotine gum and lozenges are medical products used to aid in smoking cessation in adults. Using a controlled amount of nicotine helps reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you quit smoking.

Nicotine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Nicotine is the primary ingredient in tobacco products.

Nicotine transdermal (skin patch) is a medical product used to aid in smoking cessation in adults. Using a controlled amount of nicotine helps reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you quit smoking.

Nicotine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Nicotine is the primary ingredient in tobacco products.

Nicotine nasal spray and inhaler are medical products used to aid in smoking cessation in adults. Using a controlled amount of nicotine helps reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you quit smoking.

Nicotine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Do not smoke or use other nicotine products (including snuff, chewing tobacco, nicotine patches, inhaler, or nasal spray) while you are using nicotine gum or lozenges.

Do not use this medication if you are pregnant or breast-feeding unless your doctor has told you to.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using nicotine transdermal if you have heart disease, a heart rhythm disorder, circulation problems, high blood pressure, history of stroke or heart attack, skin problems, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder, stomach ulcer, asthma or other breathing disorder, or an adrenal gland tumor.

Do not smoke or use other nicotine products (including snuff, chewing tobacco, or nicotine gum, lozenges, inhaler, or nasal spray) while you are using nicotine transdermal.

Do not use nicotine patches for longer than 8 weeks without the advice of your doctor.

Keep both used and unused nicotine patches out of the reach of children or pets. The amount of nicotine in a used or unused skin patch can be fatal to a child who accidentally sucks or chews on the patch.

The nicotine transdermal patch may burn your skin if you wear the patch during an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Remove the patch before undergoing such a test.

Do not use this medication if you are pregnant or breast-feeding unless your doctor has told you to.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using nicotine nasal spray or inhaler if you have heart disease, a heart rhythm disorder, circulation problems, high blood pressure, history of stroke or heart attack, nasal or sinus problems, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder, stomach ulcer, asthma or other breathing disorder, or an adrenal gland tumor.

Do not smoke or use other nicotine products (including snuff, chewing tobacco, or nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges) while you are using nicotine nasal spray or inhaler.

Do not use nicotine nasal spray or inhaler for longer than 12 weeks without the advice of your doctor.

Keep this medicine out of the reach of children or pets. The amount of nicotine in a used or unused bottle or cartridge can cause serious harm to a child who accidentally sucks or chews on it.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use this medicine if you have:

heart disease, heart rhythm disorder;

untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure;

diabetes;

stomach ulcer;

if you have recently had a heart attack;

if you are on a low salt diet; or

if you are using any other smoking cessation medicine (bupropion, Zyban, or others).

Do not use this medication if you are pregnant unless your doctor has told you to. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

Nicotine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication if you are breast-feeding unless your doctor has told you to.

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause low birth weight, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Using a nicotine replacement product during pregnancy or while breast-feeding may be safer than smoking. However, you should try to stop smoking without using a nicotine replacement product if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Talk with your doctor about the best way for you to stop smoking.

Nicotine lozenges may contain phenylalanine. Tell your doctor if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

Do not give this medication to anyone under 18 years old without medical advice.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use this medicine if you have:

if you have skin problems that will interfere with wearing a skin patch; or

if your skin is sensitive to adhesive tape or bandages.

Do not use this medication if you are pregnant unless your doctor has told you to. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

Nicotine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication if you are breast-feeding unless your doctor has told you to.

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause low birth weight, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Using a nicotine replacement product during pregnancy or while breast-feeding may be safer than smoking. However, you should try to stop smoking without using a nicotine replacement product if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Talk with your doctor about the best way for you to stop smoking.

The nicotine transdermal patch may burn your skin if you wear the patch during an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Remove the patch before undergoing such a test.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use this medicine if you have:

Do not use this medication if you are pregnant unless your doctor has told you to. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.

Nicotine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication if you are breast-feeding unless your doctor has told you to.

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause low birth weight, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Using a nicotine replacement product during pregnancy or while breast-feeding may be safer than smoking. However, you should try to stop smoking without using a nicotine replacement product if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Talk with your doctor about the best way for you to stop smoking.

Nicotine Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

fast or pounding heartbeats, fluttering in your chest;

blisters inside your mouth;

problems with your teeth or jaw; or

wheezing, tightness in your chest, trouble breathing.

Common side effects may include:

mild dizziness;

dry mouth, upset stomach, burping, or hiccups;

mouth or throat soreness;

changes in taste; or

headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

fast or pounding heartbeats, fluttering in your chest;

extreme weakness or dizziness;

severe nausea and vomiting; or

redness, swelling, or skin rash where a nicotine patch was worn (especially if these symptoms do not clear up within 4 days after the patch was removed).

Less serious side effects may include:

mild dizziness;

sleep problems (insomnia), strange dreams;

dry mouth, upset stomach;

joint or muscle pain;

headache; or

mild skin irritation where the patch is worn.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

fast or pounding heartbeats, fluttering in your chest;

extreme weakness or dizziness;

severe nausea and vomiting;

bronchospasm (wheezing, tightness in your chest, trouble breathing);

severe stinging, burning, or other irritation in your nose, mouth, or throat; or

numbness or tingling in your nose, mouth, head, or other parts of your body;

pain in your jaw or neck;

upset stomach, constipation;

headache, earache, tooth problems;

flu symptoms, sores or white patches in your mouth or throat;

unpleasant taste in your mouth; or

changes in your sense of taste or smell.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Nicotine Interactions

Do not eat or drink anything within 15 minutes before using the gum or lozenge or while the medicine is in your mouth.

Do not smoke or use other nicotine products (including snuff, chewing tobacco, or nicotine gum, lozenges, inhaler, or nasal spray). Even while you are not wearing a nicotine skin patch, you will still have nicotine in your blood stream. Using many forms of nicotine together can be dangerous.

Avoid using lotions, oils, or moisturizing soaps on the skin where you plan to wear a nicotine transdermal patch, or it may not stick well.

Do not smoke or use other nicotine products (including snuff, chewing tobacco, or nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges). Using many forms of nicotine together can be dangerous.

Other drugs may interact with nicotine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with nicotine transdermal. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with nicotine nasal spray or inhaler. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Nicotine Dosage

This medicine is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include counseling, group support, and behavior changes. Your success will depend on your participation in all aspects of your smoking cessation program.

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. This medicine comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Your dose will depend on how many cigarettes you smoked daily before quitting. Follow the guide in the patient instructions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Do not smoke or use other nicotine products (including snuff, chewing tobacco, nicotine patches, inhaler, or nasal spray). Using many forms of nicotine together can be dangerous.

To use nicotine gum:

Chew the gum slowly and stop chewing when your mouth starts to tingle. "Park" the gum between your cheek and gum and leave it there until the tingly feeling is gone. Then slowly chew a few more times until the tingling returns. Park the gum again in a different place in your mouth.

Remove a piece of gum after 30 minutes, or when chewing no longer causes the tingly feeling.

If you have very strong or frequent cravings, you may chew a new piece of gum within 60 minutes.

Avoid chewing one piece of gum right after the other, or you may have side effects such as hiccups, heartburn, or nausea.

For best results, use at least 9 pieces of gum per day for the first 6 weeks of treatment. Do not use more than 24 pieces of gum per day.

To use nicotine lozenges:

Place the lozenge in your mouth and allow it to dissolve slowly over 20 to 30 minutes, without chewing or swallowing.

Move the lozenge from one side of your mouth to the other until it has completely dissolved.

You may notice a warm or tingly feeling in your mouth.

For best results, use at least 9 lozenges per day for the first 6 weeks of treatment. Do not use more than 5 lozenges in 6 hours (20 lozenges per day).

After removing the gum or lozenge, wrap it in paper and throw it away in a place where children and pets cannot reach it.

Do not use this medicine for longer than 12 weeks without the advice of your doctor.

Do not use more than one lozenge or piece of gum at a time. Do not use the gum and lozenges together at the same time.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

Keep both used and unused gum and lozenges out of the reach of children or pets.

Nicotine transdermal is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include counseling, group support, and behavior changes. Your success will depend on your participation in all aspects of your smoking cessation program.

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Your patch strength and number of weeks of treatment will depend on how many cigarettes you smoked daily before quitting. Follow the guide in the patient instructions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Apply the patch to clean, dry, and hairless skin on your chest or the outer part of your upper arm. Press the patch firmly into place for about 10 seconds to make sure it sticks. You may leave the patch on while bathing, showering, or swimming.

If a patch falls off, try sticking it back into place. If it does not stick well, put on a new patch.

Remove the skin patch after 24 hours and replace it with a new one.

Choose a different place on your body to wear the patch each time you put on a new one. Do not use the same skin area twice within 7 days.

Do not wear more than one nicotine patch at a time. Never cut a skin patch.

After removing a skin patch fold it in half, sticky side in, and put it back into its pouch.

Wash your hands after applying or removing a nicotine skin patch.

You may wear a Habitrol patch for 24 hours.

You may wear a Nicoderm CQ patch for 16 or 24 hours (wear for 24 hours if you crave cigarettes when you wake up in the morning).

Do not wear a nicotine patch at night if you have vivid dreams or trouble sleeping.

Do not use nicotine patches for longer than 8 weeks without the advice of your doctor.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep each patch in its foil pouch until you are ready to use it. You may save the pouch to use for throwing away used patches.

Keep both used and unused nicotine patches out of the reach of children or pets.

Nicotine nasal or inhalation is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include counseling, group support, and behavior changes. Your success will depend on your participation in all aspects of your smoking cessation program.

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

To use the nasal spray:

Blow your nose if needed. Tilt your head back slightly and insert the tip of bottle into your nostril. Breathe through your mouth while spraying gently into your nostril. Do not inhale or sniff while spraying. If your nose runs, gently sniff to keep the nasal spray from leaking out.

Do not use the nasal spray more than 5 times per hour or 40 times in 24 hours.

Avoid getting the spray in your eyes or mouth, or on your skin. If this does happen, rinse with water.

Do not blow your nose for at least 2 minutes after using the nasal spray. Recap the bottle after each use.

If the nasal spray has not been used for longer than 24 hours, prime it by spraying 1 or 2 times into a tissue.

To use nicotine inhalation:

Insert an inhaler cartridge into the mouthpiece as directed in the patient instructions.

Inhale deeply or puff in short breaths for 5 minutes at a time. One inhaler cartridge may be used for about 20 minutes of active puffing time.

Nicotine inhalation is given in two treatment phases: initial treatment (up to 12 weeks) and gradual reduction (up to 12 weeks).

During the first 3 to 6 weeks of initial treatment, use at least 6 inhaler cartridges per day. You may use up to 16 cartridges per day, depending on how much nicotine you feel you need.

After your initial treatment, start your gradual reduction by using fewer cartridges per day or using them less often for up to 12 more weeks.

Use the inhaler at temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Use in the cold will reduce the amount of nicotine you inhale.

Remove an empty inhaler cartridge from the mouthpiece and throw it away in a safe place.

Clean the inhaler mouthpiece regularly with soap and water. Store the mouthpiece in the locked position in its storage case when not in use.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep the nasal spray bottle tightly closed when not in use. Store inhaler cartridges away from open flame or high heat, such as in a car on a hot day.

Keep this medicine out of the reach of children or pets.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. The amount of nicotine in a used or unused lozenge or piece of gum can be fatal to a child who accidentally sucks or chews on it. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. The amount of nicotine in a used or unused skin patch can be fatal to a child who accidentally sucks or chews on the patch. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. The amount of nicotine in a used or unused bottle or cartridge can cause serious harm to a child who accidentally sucks or chews on it. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.

About Drugs A-Z

Drugs A-Z provides drug information from Everyday Health and our partners, as well as ratings from our members, all in one place. Cerner Multum™ provides the data within some of the Basics, Side Effects, Interactions, and Dosage tabs. The information within the Reviews and FAQ tabs is proprietary to Everyday Health.

You can browse Drugs A-Z for a specific prescription or over-the-counter drug or look up drugs based on your specific condition. This information is for educational purposes only, and not meant to provide medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Remember to always consult your physician or health care provider before starting, stopping, or altering a treatment or health care regimen.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by on this page is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. The information on this page has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore neither Everyday Health or its licensor warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Neither Everyday Health nor its licensors endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. The drug information above is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Neither Everyday Health nor its licensor assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of the information provided. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have any questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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